Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-01-14
M0RAL TEACHING IN STATE
SCHOOLS.
PORTLAND, Or, Dee. "a, 1886.

PORTLAND, Or, Dec. "a, 1886.
To EDITOR OF 0REGoNIAN: An
axiom, based on reason, says, Virtue
and intelligence form the only sure
basis Of free government. The peo-
pie of these United States ought there
fore to guard with unceasing ylgils
these clements in their social and edu
cational institutions. The mental de
velopment and literary culture now SO
generally fostered and literally patron
lied by the several states leave little.
to fear from ignorance. Through
every grade, from the kindergarten
to the university, children and youth
are pushed and pressed with district,
only country and state aid. New
methods are sought and improved sys-
TENS of drilling and cramming en-
ployed to put pupils over the grades
and students through the curriculum,
not merely at railroad but at lightning
speed. In this haste to be intellectual
there is danger that moral culture may
he neglected. This point should neith-
er be overlooked nor treated with less
than fullest consideration. To train
the head to shrewdness without estab-
fishing the heart in virtue is to sharp
en- the instrument with which thu dem
agogue rules in politics, the charlatap
yictimizes his dupes, and drones feed
upon the products Of unrequited in
dustry The state, the church, tie
family and the individual are alike in.
terested IN establishing and sustaining G
high standard Of mortality.
Schools sustained by the state, in
whole or in part, should no more be
limited to intellectual and scientific
culture than those controlled by the
church should be restricted exclusively
to moral and religious training. The
family is, indeed, the nursery of virtue
where moral basis should be laid in a
mothers love and in fathers example.
But our sons and daughters must pass
out of the nusery into the college and
university before they are ready to as.
sume the duties and responsibilities Of
life. Just here is the point Of danger.
When the restraining counsel and
guiding influence of parental care is
is left behind to enter a college distant
from the parental roof, a we'll adjusted
curriculum. whose moral scale should
sustain in equal balance the literary
ought to greet the student to fortifJ
and strengthen the moral principles
yet in the bud ready to be developed
or dwarfed, as the teaching shall b.
favorable or unfavorable.
There should therefore be well
sustained chair of moral science In
every college and university in tn,
land Unfortunately this is not thu
case in Oregon. There is not such
chair, so far as I am informed, occu
pied by competent professor in th,
state, perhaps not one on the Pacif
coast. Will not peril to the countr,
result from this want Of moral training
May not this be leading cause fo
that want of veracity, integrity ant
honor in the commercial, social san'
political circles SO often noticed ant
complained by the press, and especiall,
by the Oregonian?
The state university at Eugene ha
a chair designated 'The chair of mora
science" but the want of endowmcn
and the absence of an appropriation
for salary have prevented the boar
Of regents from electing professor t
occupy it.
There is no such chair in the agri
cultural college at Corvallis, nor il
the normal school at Monmouth. Thi
latter should, by all means, have de
partment of ethics.
1t is unreasonable to send our teach
ers from normal school, howeve
great their literary attainments, ant
however perfect their methods. wht
have no scientific training in mora
philosophy. The school law requires
that they shall have good moral charac
ter. This they may have without be
ing able to teaci others scientifically il
this department if they have not them
selves been so taught.
This matter, SO far as state institu
tions are concerned, ought to be
deemed of sufficient merit and impor
tance by legislators in the approaching
session to command respectful coasid-
Grafton.
A liberal appropriation ought to be
made for the state university to enable
the board of curators to fili the chair
of ethics in that institution; and a
timilar appropriation should be given
SO the state normal school at Mon
mouth, that teachers sent out thence
should go fully prepared to train, and
form and mould the youth placel un
der their care into models of moral
strength and beauty. No appropria
tion to be made by the legislature can
yield better results. ts.-Oregonian.
MULTNOMAH.
Valuable Adrsce